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You are here: ANRA home » Natural resource topics » Water » Overview » South Australia

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In this section you will find detailed information, including national overviews and state and regional level assessments, from the 2000-2002 National Land and Water Resources Audit theme assessments.

Water resources - Overview - South Australia

Groundwater Management Unit: Great Artesian Basin - South Australia

Introduction

The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is the largest artesian groundwater basin in the world and extends beneath Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The basins areal extent is in excess of 1.7 million km², of which 310 000 km² lies within South Australia. The GAB is an essential water resource for northern South Australia and supplies water for pastoral, agriicultural and mining industries, and also small communities.

Aquifer recharge to the GAB occurs by direct infiltration of rainfall through outcropping units in the Great Dividing Range in central Queensland, with minor recharge occurring around the southern and western margins. The rate of recharge to the GAB in South Australia is estimated at 425 ML/day, which is the same rate as the estimated use of the resource. Data from 1996 indicates discharge from the aquifer in South Australia occurs via upward leakage (45%), flowing bores (30%), natural discharge from ground springs (15%), petroleum activities using over 5% and bores supplying Olympic Dam extracting over 3.5% of the recharge.

Two formally managed areas (Wellfield A and Wellfield B) exist within the GAB, Curdimurka and Muloorina Prescribed Well Areas. These areas were prescribed to provide Olympic Dam mining operations, and Roxby Downs township, with a water supply while protecting nearby ecologically significant mound springs.

The Prescribed Wells Areas are managed under the Roxby Downs (Indenture Ratification) Act 1982 and are discussed further in the Curdimurka and Muloorina Groundwater Management Units within this database.